London to Brighton

August 29, 2012

As many of you are aware team Oliver Spencer, like many of our customers,are quite keen on cycling in one way or another. The back garden at our Lambs Conduit Store at often resembles some sort of ramshackle cycle team, with all variations of bikes being ridden from folding Brompton’s and vintage mountain bikes to fixed gear and road bikes.

This Bank Holiday weekend Tom and I decided to risk the monsoon and cycle to Brighton. After an early night and as many carbs as Lambs Conduits Street’s Peoples’ Supermarket could provide we donned our peloton tees and Lycra and met at Clapham Common - the traditional starting point for the ride. After a quick coffee we began peddling south.

At around 55 miles long the ride isn’t too much of a monster, and along the way the route passes through a number of idyllic villages, making great rest stops if you need them (we didn’t). Towards the end of the ride we got the first glimpses of the thing that had been playing on our minds since the beginning of the ride (if not even a few days before) - Ditchling Beacon. This is a very steep final climb before the descent into Brighton, just as your legs are beginning to feel the strain of the miles covered since leaving London. The Beacon was conquered and we arrived in Brighton only a little later than planned but with still enough time for a much needed fish and chip refuel before the train back to London.

All in all a great day out, which I would highly recommend. Word of warning; Ditchling Beacon on a fixed gear bike is a painful experience.

From early beginnings as a self-taught tailor and shopkeeper, Oliver Spencer has built a brand
around his vision: hand-crafted quality paired with stylish accents and details. In the words of
GQ, a ‘uniquely British take on relaxed style’.